CARDINAL CHRONICLE IVOctober 7, 1923: Movin' On Up

- - - - - The Rochester Jeffersons never knew what hit them this October afternoon in Chicago. The Cardinals
unmercifully pounded them, running off a total of nine touchdowns, four of which were scored by Paddy Driscoll. The
Jeffersons never had a chance and the 60-0 final score became the most lopsided game in the Cardinals' history, a team
record that still stands today. Although few teams suffered blowout losses of this magnitude at the hands of the
Cardinals, Rochester was not alone in their role as a stepping stone for the Cards on their way to greatness. After
mediocre seasons in 1920 and 1921, the Cardinals began to achieve greater success in 1922.
- - - - - During this season, the team changed its name from "Racine Cardinals" to "Chicago Cardinals," prompted
by the joining to the NFL a team from Racine, Wisconsin. The league also underwent a name change, as the old APFA became
the National Football League. The Cards enjoyed some degree of success, winning eight and losing three games, good enough
to place them in third place behind the Canton Bulldogs and Chicago Bears (who changed their name as well). The Bulldogs
swept the Cards in back-to-back weeks, but the Bears were bombed by Driscoll's drop-kicking, which accounted for all fifteen
points in the 6-0 and 9-0 Big-Red victories. Paddy Driscoll served the dual role of player-coach in 1921 and 1922.
- - - - - The 1923 season would see several changes, but the team's success would continue. Arnold Horween replaced
Driscoll as coach. Arnold and his brother Ralph were Harvard graduates from a wealthy family. However, they both played
under the name "McMahon" in order to protect their family's social status, indicating the disdain which people looked upon
the sport during this time. In 1996, Seventy-three years later, Ralph Horween would become the first ex-NFL-player to celebrate
his 100th birthday. Other Cardinals stars included Fred Gillies and Eddie Anderson, and the team would later add Roger "Ike"
Mahoney, "Red" Dunn, and Fred "Duke" Slater. Mahoney would be immortalized in the song "Over the Line with Ike Mahoney," a
special number sung by the Cardinal Quartet, a barbershop harmony group featured at all home games.
- - - - - A final note on the Cardinals teams of the early 1920s regards their uniforms. The jerseys were cardinal red,
much like they are today, but featured three wide white stripes along each sleeve. A distinctive team emblem was located at
the wrist that featured coupled concentric "Cs." The outer "C" was pointed in the manner of the current helmet logo of the
Bears, while the inner "C" traced the round inside-curve of the outer letter. The pants were made of canvas and took on a beige
or tan color. The socks were the same color as the jerseys, featuring four narrow and closely spaced white stripes. The leather
helmets worn by the team were white, perhaps with a grayish hue. It would not be until 1960 in St. Louis that the Cardinals
would begin using a helmet logo.

NEXT : November 26, 1925 - "Red" Grange makes his NFL debut versus
the Cardinals in a battle for city bragging rights. The Cardinals, on their way to their second best winning-percentage ever, are
an even match for the Bears' superstar in this, one of the most important football games for the new league.